下载辰思小说免费APP
Behindtheboxoutoftheforepartofthecaravanpeeredtwoorthreeblackchildren’sheads。Aprettylittlefoalaboutfourmonthsoldcamefriskingandgambollingnowbeforenowbesidethehorses，whilstacoltofsomesixteenmonthsfollowedmoreleisurelybehind。WhenthecaravanwasabouttenyardsdistantI
stopped，andraisingmylefthandwiththelittlefingerpointedaloft，Iexclaimed：
"Shoon，Kaulomengro，shoon！InDibbel’snav，wheremaytubejawingto？"
Stoppinghiscaravanwithconsiderabledifficultythesmallblackmanglaredatmeforamomentlikeawildcat，andthensaidinavoicepartlysnappish，partlykind：
"Savoshantu？AreyouoneoftheIngrines？"
"IamthechapwhatcertainfolkscallstheRomanyRye。"
"Well，I’llbejiggeredifIwasn’tthinkingsoandifIwasn’tpenningsotomyjuwaaswewerewellingdownthechong。"
"Itisalongtimesincewelastmet，CaptainBosvile，forI
supposeImaycallyouCaptainnow？"
"Yes！theoldmanhasbeendeadandburiedthismanyayear，andhissticksandtitlesarenowmine。Poorsoul，Ihopeheishappy；
indeedIknowheis，forheliesinCockleshellchurchyard，theplacehewasalwayssofondof，andhashisSundaywaistcoatonhimwiththefinegoldbuttons，whichhewasalwayssoproudof。Ah，youmaywellcallitalongtimesincewemet—why，itcan’tbelessthanthirtyyear。"
"Somethingaboutthat—youwereaboythenofaboutfifteen。"
"SoIwas，andyouatallyoungslipofabouttwenty；well，howdidyoucometojinmande？"
"Why，Iknewyoubyyourfightingmug—thereain’tsuchanothermuginEngland。"
"Nomoretherean’t—myoldfatheralwaysusedtosayitwasofnousehittingitforitalwaysbrokehisknuckles。Well，itwaskindofyoutojinmandeaftersomanyyears。ThelasttimeIthinkI
sawyouwasnearBrummagem，whenyouweretravellingaboutwithJasperPetulengroand—Isay，what’sbecomeoftheyoungwomanyouusedtokeepcompanywith？"
"Idon’tknow。"
"Youdon’t？Well，shewasafineyoungwomanandavartuous。I
rememberherknockingdownandgivingablackeyetomyoldmother，whowaswonderfullydeepinRomany，formakingabitofagillieaboutyouandshe。Whatwasthesong？Lord，howmymemoryfailsme！Oh，hereitis：—
"’AndoberkhoRyecanoOtehpivotehkhavoTulerasqueandoberkhopiraneeTehcorbatchaporpico。’"
"HaveyouseenJasperPetulengrolately？"saidI。
"Yes，Ihaveseenhim，butitwasataveryconsiderabledistance。
JasperPetulengrodoesn’tcomenearthelikesofwenow。Lord！youcan’tthinkwhatgrandfolksheandhiswifehavebecomeoflateyears，andallalongofatrumperylilwhichsomebodyhaswrittenaboutthem。Why，theyarehandandglovewiththeQueenandPrince，andfolkssaythathiswifeisgoingtobemadedameofhonour，andJasperJusticeofthePeaceandDeputyRangerofWindsorPark。"
"Onlythink，"saidI。"Andnowtellme，whatbroughtyouintoWales？"
"WhatbroughtmeintoWales？I’lltellyou；myownfool’shead。I
wasdoingnicelyintheKauloGavandtheneighbourhood，whenI
mustneedspackupandcomeintothesepartswithbagandbaggage，wifeandchilder。IthoughtthatWaleswaswhatitwassomethirtyyearsagonewhenourfokyusedtosay—forIwasneverherebefore—thattherewassomethingtobedoneinit；butIwasnevermoremistakeninmylife。ThecountryisoverrunwithHinditymescrey，woildIrish，withwhomtheRomanyfokystandnochance。Thefellowsunderworkmeattinkering，andthewomenoutscreammywifeattellingfortunes—moreover，theysaythecountryistheirsandnotintendedforniggerslikewe，andastheyaregenerallyinvastnumberswhatcanapoorlittleRomanfamilydobutfleeawaybeforethem？AprettyjourneyIhavemadeintoWales。HadInotcontrivedtopassoffapoggadobavengro—abroken—windedhorse—
atafair，Iatthismomentshouldbewithoutatringoruscheepieceinmypocket。IamnowmakingthebestofmywaybacktoBrummagem，andifeverIcomeagaintothisHinditycountrymayCalcraftnashme。"
"Iwonderyoudidn’ttrytoservesomeoftheIrishout，"saidI。
"Iservedoneout，brother；andmywifeandchilderhelpedtowipeoffalittleofthescore。Wehadstoppedonanicegreen，nearavillageoverthehillsinGlamorganshire，whenupcomesaHindityfamily，andbidsustakeourselvesoff。Nowitsohappenedthattherewasbutonemanandawomanandsomechilder，soIlaughed，andtoldthemtodriveusoff。Well，brother，withoutmanywords，therewasaregularscrimmage。TheHinditymushcameatme，theHinditymushiatymyjuwa，andtheHinditychavesatmychai。Itdidn’tlastlong，brother。InlessthanthreeminutesIhadhittheHinditymush，whowasaplagueybigfellow，butcouldn’tfight，justunderthepointofthechin，andsenthimtothegroundwithallhissensesgone。MyjuwahadalmostscratchedaneyeoutoftheHinditymushi，andmychaihadsenttheHinditychilderscamperingoverthegreen。’Whohasgottoquitnow？’saidItotheHinditymushafterhehadgotonhislegs，lookinglikeamanwhohasbeencutdownafterhangingjustaminuteandahalf。’Whohasgotnoticetoquit，now，Iwonder？’Well，brother，hedidn’tsayanything，nordidanyofthem，butafteralittletimetheyalltookthemselvesoff，withacarttheyhad，tothesouth。Justastheygottotheedgeofthegreen，however，theyturnedroundandgaveayellwhichmadeallourbloodruncold。Iknewwhatitmeant，andsaid，’Thisisnoplaceforus。’Sowegoteverythingtogetherandcameawayand，thoughthehorsesweretired，neverstoppedtillwehadgottenmilesfromtheplace；andwellitwasweactedaswedid，for，hadwestayed，IhavenodoubtthatawholeHindityclanwouldhavebeendownuponusbeforemorningandcutourthroats。"
"Well，"saidI，"farewell。Ican’tstayanylonger。Asitis，I
shallbelateatGutterVawr。"
"Farewell，brother！"saidCaptainBosvile；and，givingacry，hecracked，hiswhipandsethishorsesinmotion。
"Won’tyougiveussixpencetodrink？"criedMrsBosvile，witharathershrillvoice。
"Holdyourtongue，youshe—dog，"saidCaptainBosvile。"Isthatthewayinwhichyoutakeleaveofanoldfriend？Holdyourtongue，andlettheIngrinegentlemanjawonhisway。"
IproceededonmywayasfastasIcould，forthedaywasnowclosingin。Myprogress，however，wasnotverygreat；fortheroadwassteep，andwascontinuallybecomingmoreso。Inabouthalf—an—
hourIcametoalittlevillage，consistingofthreeorfourhouses；oneofthem，atthedoorofwhichseveralcartswerestanding，borethesignofatavern。
"Whatisthenameofthisplace？"saidItoamanwhowasbreakingstonesontheroad。
"CapelGwynfa，"saidhe。
Rathersurprisedatthename，whichsignifiesinEnglishtheChapeloftheplaceofbliss，Iaskedthemanwhyitwascalledso。
"Idon’tknow，"saidtheman。
"Wasthereeverachapelhere？"saidI。
"Idon’tknow，sir；thereisnonenow。"
"Idaresaytherewasintheoldtime，"saidItomyself，asIwenton，"inwhichsomeholyhermitprayedandtoldhisbeads，andoccasionallyreceivedbenightedstrangers。WhatapoeticalwordthatGwynfa，placeofbliss，is。OwenPughusesitinhistranslationof’ParadiseLost’toexpressParadise，forhehasrenderedthewordsParadiseLostbyColGwynfa—thelossoftheplaceofbliss。Iwonderwhethertheoldscholarpickedupthewordhere。Notunlikely。StrangefellowthatOwenPugh。WishI
hadseenhim。Nohopeofseeinghimnow，exceptintheheavenlyGwynfa。Wonderwhetherthereissuchaplace。TomPaynethinksthere’snot。StrangefellowthatTomPayne。Norfolkman。WishI
hadneverreadhim。"
PresentlyIcametoalittlecottagewithatoll—bar。Seeingawomanstandingatthedoor，Iinquiredofherthenameofthegate。
"CowslipGate，sir。"
"HasitanyWelshname？"
"NonethatIknowof，sir。"
Thisplacewasataconsiderablealtitude，andcommandedanextensiveviewtothesouth，west，andnorth。Heightsuponheightsrosebehindittotheeast。Fromheretheroadrantothesouthforalittlewaynearlylevel，thenturnedabruptlytotheeast，andwasmoresteepthanever。Aftertheturn，Ihadahugechalkclifftoweringovermeontheright，andachalkprecipiceonmyleft。Nightwasnowcomingonfast，and，rathertomyuneasiness，massesofmistbegantopourdownthesidesofthemountain。I
hurriedon，theroadmakingfrequentturnings。Presentlythemistsweptdownuponme，andwassothickthatIcouldonlyseeafewyardsbeforeme。Iwasnowobligedtoslackenmypace，andtoadvancewithsomedegreeofcaution。Imovedoninthiswayforsometime，whensuddenlyIheardanoise，asifanumberofcartswerecomingrapidlydownthehill。Istopped，andstoodwit
